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E. PYNCHON. GAR AXLE LUBRICATOR.

No. 368,969. Patented Aug. 30, 1887.

"uemneiasn 'y E @zessesf i' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN PYNCHON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL LUBRICATOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-AXLE LUB RICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,969, dated August 30, 1887. Application filed February '1, 1887. Serial No. 226,860. (NNO model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN PYNoHoN, a

such as are used in car-axle boxes and designed to carry the oil from the bottom of the box to the axle; and its object is to provide a car-axle lubricator which will accommodate itself to the different positions of the axle and to axles in different stages of their use and will be easy to introduce into the box. These objects I accomplish by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of my device with the lubricating-roller depressed, so as to lie close to the bottom of the box.V Fig. 2 isaside View thereof, showing a broken section of a caraxle box and a portion of the car-axle, and also showing in dotted lines the position which U the lubricating-roller would assume in adj usting itself to an axle of different height or one somewhat worn. Fig. 3 is a view of the rollerframe; Fig. 4, a section through the device through the line rv x of Fig. l. Fig. is an edge view of one ofthesidepieces of theframe. Fig. 6 is a detail View of the oil`couveycr and agitatorshaft Like parts are indicated by the same letter in all the gurcs.

A A is the base of the lubricator, having the standards B B thereon. The roller-frame is' composed of the two side pieces, C C, connected by the bars D D.

The side pieces have each a hook, E, and a stop, F, and also a bearing slot, G. Atone extremity of these side pieces are found the arms H H, in which the crossbar D is secured, and atV the bottom of each of these pieces H are the spring pockets K. Small lips are formed on the ends of the pieces H H, (marked L L,)and designed to be turned up so as tocover the ends ofthe spring-pockets K when the springs are in position. Each side piece has a collar, M, a trunnion, N, and a bolt, O, upon which latter is placed the o washer l?. When the washer P is placed in position, the bolt may be upset, so as to se- Y what is known as a-l1ot box.

curely fasten the end of the spring which en- B. This spring WV is coiled about both ends of the bar Y, and its central portion is downwardly bent, as shown in Fig. 4. Its ends are forlned into loops Z,which encompass the trunnions N N.

A. is a roller carrying a spring-coil, B, and provided with the disks C C', which bear against the disks S S. This roller is loose'on the shaft A2, which is provided at its ends with square projections E E', which slide in the slots G G, and are pressed toward the shaft D by means of the spiral springs F' F,which rest in the spring-pockets K.

G is a portion ofthe car-axle box, and J J are car-axles. The washers LL are placed on the shaft Y between the ends of the spring NV W and the standards B B.

Car-axles and their journal-bearings have been generally lubricated by oil distributed by the use of cotton-waste, which, when inserted in the box, carries np the oil by power y of capillary attraction, in which way the drops of oil are divided into minute particles, permitting of a considerable loss by evaporation. The waste likewise catches and carries up to the axle the numerous particles of dust and cinder which are ever finding their waydnto the box when the car is in motion. In this way there is deposited on and between the axle and journal-brass gritty matter which is wearing on both and is often productive of The waste is also expensive, it being necessary to frequently replace with new that which by use has become clogged with dirt andV gummy mat-ter. Furthermore, waste will not so well distribute the cheaper or lower grades of oil, which are a majority of which have depended in whole or in part upon the principle of capillary attraction bythe use of one or more wicks,either alone or in combination, as with wheels, revolving brushes, die., and are therefore, though to a less degree, open to the same objections which have been made to the waste. Lubricators have also been patented composed of one or more rollers.. Those in which there is but one roller cannot be used in a box the axle and j carnal-brass oi' which have become worn, for while there is but three inches of space beneath the axle of a ear-wheel supplied with a master car-buildersstandard box when new, this space, by wear of axle and journal-brass, is increased to about four inches before the same is discarded. These boxes are so constructed that the lubricant placed within them should be less than one inch in depth; otherwise there is a loss by leakage through the opening at back of box which allows of the axle entering the same. Consequently,a single roller which would reach from thelubricant to the axle when the latter is worn, as previously described, would be of too great a diameter to be introduced into the box.

My invention, as will be seen above, relates to a purely mechanical lubricator in which an oiling-roller which is supported by springpressure against the axle and rotated thereby in turn rotates a feed-roller, and thereby carries thelubricant from near the bottom of the box to the axle, working equally as well when the oil is thick as it may be when of low grade or as better oil may become when subjected to great cold. In fact a lubricator ot' this class will work better with a thick than a thin lubricant, as when the former is used the rapid revolutions of the rollers will not spatter the same to as great a degree.

As explained, in my device a series of two rollers are held in a tilting or cradle frame, which, from projections near its center on either side, is pivotally supported on a springframe in such a manner that while the rollers may be pressed down so as to facilitate the easyintroduction of the device within thebox, they will, when the pressure is removed, assume a nearly vert-ical position with the oilingroller above and the feed-roller beneath, and thereby accommodate themselves instantly to even the greatest possible wear of axle, doing away with the necessity of taking any previous measurements in order to secure a lubricator of proper size, as each completed device will tit any axle between the minimum and the maximum conditions of wear, for in either condition,while the oiling-roller is in contact with the axle, the feed-roller is well introducedinto the lubricant, which is in the bottom of the box.

l have represented my device with the rollers pressed down so low that they have become parallel and even with the side bars of the bottom frame, as is necessary in order to secure an easy introduction of the lubricator through the door of the box and beneath the end of the axle,which is an irregular passage, not exceeding two inches in height. This posticn of the lubricator is also necessarily assumed when in order to remove the journalbrass the car is jacked up 7--a process which elevates the box with the car and causes the axle to relatively descend, so that the space beneath the same, between it and the bottom of the box, is reduced to about two inches, within which space a lubricator must be susceptible of being compressed. In my device the rollers may be pressed down even lower than shown in Fig. 1, so that they project beneath the bottom of bottom frame through the opening therein, thereby better allowing the device to curve around the end of the axle when it is being introduced into the box.

The spring-arms on either side, each acting independent oi the other, allow of an oscillating motion of the cradle-frame with the rollers which it supports, so that the oiling-roller will accommodate itself to any variation from the horizontal which the car-axle may makeas when car is rounding curves-and again the easy spring-support will allow of the most rapid compression when in passing over frogs or uneven places in the track the car j umps, 7 which has the effect of reducing the space bcneath the axle in the box.

The lower portion of spring W presses laterally against the upwardlyprojecting lug at the side of bottom frame, thus preventing the frame tipping up, and likewise by its pressing bottom of frame against the side of the box it tends to prevent the lubricator changing its position by sliding longitudinally in the box.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: It will be observed that the frame carries two rollers, one being provided with the lubricant-carrying material T, and adapted to bear against the axle, and the other provided with a spring-coil, B', to descend into the oil-receptacle of the box and keep the oil stirred, and also to assist in forcing it upward against the lubricant-carrier T. The frame which carries these two rollers is supported by two sets of springs-the one XV XV adapted to lift the entire frame, as shown, the other, U U, adapted to turn the frame on its trillinions N N. The joint action of these two springs is such as to keep the lubricatingroller constantly against thc axle and the roller A constantlyin the oil. In the extreme limit of its motion (shown in Fig. 4) the lower roller will be found not greatly elevated above the base of the frame. As the car-axle rotates it causes the lubricating roller which bears against it to rotate, and this in turn causes the roller A to rotate, the two sets of disks S S and C C being in contact. By this action the oil is carried from the reservoir to the caraxle and thoroughly applied thereto. It is also carried or thrown by the action of the coil B upon the lubricant-carrier T ou the lubrieating-roller, and here it is absorbed by the lubricant-carrier, so that the same is kept ICO IIO

constantly supplied with oil. This oil, of course, is continuously transferred to the surface of the axle. The roller A turns on its axle, the ends of which slide in the slots Gr, and are elastically held upward by the springs F F, so as to force the disks of the two rollers together. The action of the lower springs, U U, is to rotate the frame on its trunnions, and thus force the lubricant-carrier against the axle. Ihe action of the springs W W is to raise the entire frame, and thus force the lubricant-carrier against the axle, so that the two springs operate together to keep the lubricant-carrier roller constantly against the axle, no matter how irregular or uneven the motion thereof may be. When the lubricator is out of use, the roller-frame is prevented from turning too far on its trunnions by means of the stops F F, which engage the springs W W, whereas the feeding-rolleris always above the bottom of the box. It will not reach the particles of sand and cinder which may get into the box, and which by power of gravitation will sink to the bottom of the oil.

1. In a car-axle lubricator, the combination of a frame bearing one lubricating and one feeding roller, with arms on which the frame is pivoted, and springs which engage the frame at one side of the pivot, so that when raised or lowered it rotates on its pivots.

2. In a car-axle lubricator, the combination of a base, a frame, two engaging lubricantcarrier rollers pivoted on such frame, springarms on which the frame is pivoted, and spiral springs from such frame to the base, so that when the frame rises and falls the rollers rotate about each other.

3. In a car-axle lubricator, anoil-stirring roller provided with a spiral coil of wire spirally applied tolsame to agitate the oil.

4. In a car-axle lubricator, two lubricantcarrier rollers having end disks which engage, the lower roller being provided with an oilstirring device which agitates the oil, and the upper roller feeding the oil to the car-axle.

5. In a caraxle lubricator, aframe, in combination with a lubricant-carrier roller pivoted thereon, anda second lubricant-carrier and lubricant-stirring roller, the latter roller ilexibly held against vthe former by spiral springs which bear against the ends of the rod which supports it.

6. In a car-axle lubricator, thecombination of a frame with lubricant carrier rollers thereon, springarms which support the frame, and lugs on the frame which engage the spring-arms and prevent the frame from turning too far.

7. In a car-axle lubricator, a pivoted frame having an axle-lubricating roller pivoted on one end and provided with slots in its opposite ends, in combination with a rod which is exibly supported in such slotsl by spiral springs', and an oil stirring and carrying lubricator which rotates on such rod. A

8. In a car-axle lubricator, a lubricating mechanism consisting of two rollers supported longitudinally in a tilting cradle-frame, which from lateral projections from near the center thereof on either side is pivotally supported, so that when rotated on its pivots one roller ascends and the other descends.

9. In a car-axle lubricator, a lubricating mechanism consisting of two rollers supported longitudinally in a pivotallyswinging frame, as described, the upper roller revolving on a rigid axle, while the lower roller is provided with an axle whose attened ends slide freelyin a slot on either side, so that the two rollers can be made to come in apposition, said axle being provided with spring-bearings which tend to push the same toward the opposing roller.

l0. In a car-axle lubricator, a lubricating mechanism consisting of two rollers su pported longitudinally in a tilting frame, which from lateral projections on either side has a free pivotal support on independent spring-arms and provided on either side below the pivotal point with compensating spiral springs the opposing ends of which are attached to a rigid portion of the bottom frame, so that the tendency of the tilting frame is to assume a vertical position and an upward motion.

l1. A car axle lubricator consisting of two or more rollers, the most dependent of which being a feed-roller with wide disks at either end and supplied with a spiral coil loosely and spirally applied thereon, as shown.

12. A car-axle lubricator provided with a main frame having the standards B B thereon, a lug at the rear and between the standards, and a connecting cross-bar, Y, in combination with the lubricator-frame bearing the lubricating-rollers, and aspring-support, W, which4 is secured at each end to the pivotal point of the lubricator-roller frame, is then wrapped around both ends of the rod Y, and passes downward in the form of a loop, which engages the lug on the rear of the frame, as and for the purpose shown.

EDWIN PYNoHoN.

Witnesses:

FRANons W. PARKER, CHAs. S. BURTON.

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